The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1887-02-01
The Volcano.
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and one of which reached the sea, not far
from Puuhue. at 11:40 a. m, the same dav.
The distance from the crater to the sea is
about eighteen miles. During the first
twenty-four hours the crater "a long fissure)
elected thick lava (aa) and the flow, as is
almost always the case with "a, was rather
sluggish. moving perhaps at the rate of a
mile and half per hour; but on the 10Th the
lava (pahoehoe) was more liquid and flowed
at the rate of twenty-five miles an hour.
This flow is far greater than that of 1868, and
the nature of the lava is quite different The
lava is more dense. In the flow of 1868 n
vast amount of volcanic ash was thrown ont.
covering the country for miles; but in this
flow there is none, nor is there any Pele's
hair | visited the flow last Thursday, and
l must say II was the most awfully grand
sight l ever beheld. At the crater there were
fifteen fountains of molten lava, the highest
of which we eStiiua'al % he about two hun
dred feet. The Sl~y Il tue mountain for
width of two miles was one vast sheet of
liquid blood-red fire, while close in front of
Us was n rushing, roaring river of molten
lava, bearing on its surface boulders weigh
ing ty,S. Explosions of pent up Gases were
constant, sending up columns of smoke at
times 500 feet in height. While we were
there we had hail. vivid lightning and very
heavy thunder, 1t looked, from our stand
point, that hell itself was rapidly changing
Its geographical position. thursday night
at o'clock we could read in our house at
Hilea fine print, so bright was the reflection
from the flow of lava. Our Portuguese at
tho tire we're terribly frightened The
women were crying and praying and the men
calling on the -. = i-'- protectlon They
thought the lava was close al iIand sobright
were the heavens. | took Mrs. Spencer to
interpret for me, and went among them and
quieted them. 1t was very fortunae that
the eruption took place so soon after the
earthquakes began, for had 1t held off few
days longer we should have experienced
terrific earthquakes and there would have
been probably great loss of life.
MONDAY, January oath, [ M.
The flow of lava has nearly STOPPED, and
We are having a fearful shake-up. Since
S:55 D. M, we have had frightful seles of
earthquakes, and they still continue As
yet / do not know the amount of damage
that the shocks have caused, but / know that
the stone walls have suffered severely, and
large amount of crockery has been boken.
The Hall leaves early this morning, and l
have not time to write you more fully.
Truly yours, G. n. SPENCER.
The following private letter from LADY in
Hilea We have permission TO publish:
HILEA, Jan. %, 1877.
sent on 10 you on Monday morning by
the overland mail short note, telling d our
having few earthquakes and an outbreak
of lava on Kapapala, If l remember rightly.
That flow cooled over, and up to o'ilock
Tuesday night We had sos earthquakesthen
we gave up counting. On Tuesday, A NJ,
smoke was seen on the slope of Mauna Loa,
and fire at P. N. Mr.. Jones was Looking
with his glass, for the whole flow is in tight
from his house. The lava stream is nearPun
hue, and crosses the government roadat a
place called Puulehu. There are hIee
streams. The kau stream has destDyed
Marchant's summer house. Puulehu is two
miles west of Jones'. On Thursday, ny
husband went to the flow, which is very aIid
and fluid. 1t is, he thinks, q larger stem
than that of 1868.
On Thursday night, the glare was awful.
We could have read fine print in the stfet,
though We did not try. Our Portuguese IRE
almost crazy. One night my husband tok |
me up to the quarters TO translate for hin. |
Such scene! The men and women, pse,
sobbing and wailing, calling on the saius |
They gathered around US and we talkedto |
them and bade them not to fear. The lsa |
was not coming here but going towards Kon. |
But they could hardly believe us and begged |
my husband to tell them true, were they sap. |
They had little children to care for. A graf |
work was over and travelled all night TO Wit |
the flow, and now they feel safe and On
tented. Of course there is an enormousleal |
of volcanic smoke.
am very nervous indeed. One wuld
think after so long time living in Bu l
should be q seasoned individual to erth- !
kos but OrOyU yuOrca aDd Iporca 4